Bagging machine



Sept. 23, 196% J. E. RUBEL 3,468,100

BAGGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1965 INVENTOR JAY E. RUBEL ATTORNEYS 3,468,100 BAGGING MACHINE Jay E. Rubel, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Atlantic Company, Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Sept. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 489,857 Int. Cl. 1365b /02, 1/02, 3/02 US. Cl. 53189 Claims ABSTRACT ()F THE DISCLOSURE Bagging machine having a filling chute which receives material and directs it through a counterbalanced gate. When depressed by the material, the gate holds a bag open, the bag being initially opened by a blast of air from a blower mounted adjacent the filling chute. Upon removal of the filled bag, a subsequent bag is brought into position. The bags are supported to one side of the chute in such a position that the subsequent bag is blown open by a blast of air, each time the forewardmost bag, which is filled, has been removed. The bagging machine also includes a support for the bottom of the bag.

This invention relates generally to bagging machines and, more particularly, to a device for opening, properly positioning, and filling flexible expandable bags.

It has been common practice in the past to use a blast of air to open thin, flexible, expandable bags, such as those commercially available in paper or plastic form, to be filled. Since the bags are usually stacked fiat prior to filling, a blast of air is used to expand these bags into a partially opened position. Due to the problem of the bags reclosing once the air blast is stopped, previous bagging machines have, in many instances, provided a chute which extends into the top of the open bag and holds it in an open position during the filling operation. These chutes or the like used on conventional bagging machines have, however, required complicated linkage mechanisms to function and, in many instances, have required an external power source to insert the chute into the top of the bag after it has been partially opened by the blast of air.

Conventional bagging machines have pushed a stack of unopened bags forward until they are retained along the top and sides, or bottoms, by the machine. This has resulted in the bag, when partially opened by the blast of air, being difficult to disengage at the sides or bottom in order that the bag may be easily filled. Moreover, the air blast has been insufficient in some instances to open the tops of the bags since they tend to become stuck together over long periods of storage in a stacked position.

Conventional bagging machines have been designed for use with principally one size of bag and have provided a fixed shelf upon which the filled bag may fall before being removed from the machine. This has resulted in the bags being ruptured at the bottom thereof as they are being filled due to the fact that the bag is being held at the top and not supported at the bottom by the machine.

The present invention overcomes these and other difficulties involved with the use of conventional bagging machines by providing a means for assisting the air blast in opening the bag, providing an expedient and efficient structure to fully open the bag after being partially opened by the blast of air, and by providing support along the bottom of the bag being filled at all times and for all sizes of bags. Moreover, the bags are retained only along their top edges so that easy filling of the bags may be accomplished without having to disengage the bag at its sides and bottom before being filled. Also provided States Patent 0 3,468,100 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 is a means to afford rapid replacement of the bags as the stacks become depleted.

The structure of the invention for accomplishing these results comprises a backing plate pivoted along its bottom portion rather than its top portion as conventionally done so that only the tops of the bags are retained while being filled. A bumper is provided on the backing plate just far enough below its upper edge to push the foremost bag of the stack of bags out under the air blast of the device and, in doing so, causes the sides of the bag to slide with respect to each other so as to permit easier opening of the bag. A counterbalanced door is provided which pivots downwardly into the bag after the bag is partially opened by the air blast so that the bag is fully open as it is being filled with material which forces the counterbalanced door downwardly. A support platform is provided which is easily adjustable to several lengths of bags so that the bags are supported at all times while being filled. Also, the wicket which holds the bags is easily insertable into the machine so that bag replenishing time is minimized.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly understood by examination of the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention without any bags in position for filling;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, showing one length of bags in position for opening and showing one of the bags partially opened by a blast of air;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention carrying bags of a different length than FIG. 2 therein and showing the chute door opening the bag into a fully open position under the downward force of the material with which the bag is to be filled; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the backing plate showing how the unfilled bags and support shelf are attached thereto.

These figures and the following specification disclose one specific embodiment of the present invention, however, it is to be understood that the present inventive concept is not limited to the specific details disclosed herein since the invention may be embodied in other specific forms.

Referring now to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein comprises a base platform 10 substantially square in shape and having an upturned edge along one side thereof; a pair of upright walls 11 extending perpendicularly upward from the platform 10 on opposite sides thereof andv joined together at their upper ends by inclined top 12.

At the front or lower most side of the top 12 a fill chute 14 is removably attached by a bracket 15. The fill chute 14 and bracket 15 are adapted so that they may be easily interchanged with different size fill chutes 14 and brackets 15.

'Pivotally attached to one side of the bottom of the fill chute 14 is a chute door 16 effective to overlie the bottom of the chute 14 when in closed position to preclude material within the chute 14 from being discharged. The door 16 is counterbalanced so that it overlies the bottom of the fill chute 14 in its normal position, but may be pivoted away from this overlying position by a force inserted downwardly from in the fill chute 14 as seen in FIG. 1. This force is the weight of the filling material within the chute 14. The bracket 15 is also adjustable so that the fill chute 14 may be centered between the sides 11 along the front of the top 12.

A tubular air passage 18 is provided beneath the top 12 for partially opening bags carried within the machine.

The air passage 18 is defined by the top 12 and a bottom wall 19 so that a narrow opening is provided just rearwardly of the fill chute 14 as seen in FIG. 2. Therefore, a blast of air from a fan 20 mounted at the rear of the machine and communicating with passage 18 is directed downwardly adjacent the rear of the fill chute 14. The bottom wall 19 of the air passage 18 extends downwardly behind the top 12 so as to provide a lip 21.

Pivotally carried between the sides 11 is a bag carrier 22 comprising a backing plate 24 for forcing bags 25 into position to be opened by an air blast from the fan 20. A shaft 26 is fixedly secured to the: lower portion of the backing plate 24 as seen in the figures and rotatably carried through the sides 11. This allows the backing plate 24 to pivot with respect to the sides 11 and lip 21. A stop 28 is provided above the shaft 26 and fixedly attached to the sides 11 so that the backing plate 24 always tends to pivot away from the stop 28 toward the fill chute 14. The lip 21 engages the upper portion of the backing plate 24 as it pivots toward the fill chute 14 as seen in FIG. 2. The backing plate 24 always tends to pivot toward the lip 21 under the force of gravity on the backing plate 24 or a spring (not shown) may be connected to the shaft 26 or the backing plate 24 so that the backing plate 24 is always positively biased toward the lip 21.

The upper portion of the backing plate 24 is provided with a pair of transversely extending elongate slots 29 that slidably receive the extending legs 30 of the U- shaped bail or wicket 31 therethrough. The slots 29 are such a size that the legs 30 are freely received therethrough and that different sizes of wickets 31 may be used with the backing plate 24. Since the slots 29 are larger than the legs 30 of the wicket 31, a U-shaped retainer 32 is attached to the rearmost side of the backing plate 24 as seen in FIG. 4 so that the opening 33 provided between the legs of the retainer 32 overlies the slots 29. The retainer 32 serves to prevent the legs 30 of the wicket 31 from pivoting upwardly or downwardly with respect to the backing plate 20 so that the wicket 31 may slide from the slots 29 and the backing plate 24. Therefore, it will be seen that in order to remove the wicket 31 from the backing plate 24, the wicket 31 must be slid from the slots 29 substantially perpendicular to the backing plate 24. The slots 29 are located so that the wicket 31, when inserted into the slots 29, contact the downwardly extending lip 21 so that the wicket 31 is held within the slots 29 as the backing plate 24 pivots forwardly.

A bumper 34 is provided on the backing plate 24 and just below the slots 29 so that when the wicket 31 is inserted into the slots 29, the bumper 34 causes the bags 25 carried by the wicket 31 to be pushed forwardly just below their tops so that the forwardmost bag is positioned almost directly under the downwardly extending portion of air passage 18. As the bags 25 are pushed forwardly by the bumper 34, the bags 25 bend causing the sides of each bag 25 to shift with respect to the other thereby unsticking the sides of the bag so that the bag 25 is easily opened by a blast of air into the mouth thereof.

A support shelf 35 is fixedly yet removably carried by the backing plate 24 through holes 36 therein. A plurality of holes 36 is provided so that the support shelf 35 can be adjusted with respect to the plate 24 to accommodate different bag lengths. The support shelf 35 has an upturned edge, as indicated at numeral 38. Edge 38 is adapted generally to conform to the contour of and support the front bottom portion of each bag 25 as it is being filled. Thus, the possibility of rupture of the bag during the filling operation is reduced.

A forwardly turned lip 39 as seen in FIG. 4 is provided at the lower end of the backing plate 24 so that the longest bags 25 that may be used within the machine are properly supported in the same manner as by the support shelf 35. Therefore, as a stack of bags 25 is being used,

the bags 25 are always properly supported while being filled to prevent rupturing of the bag 25.

The bags 25 to be used in the invention are those that are commercially available which fold fiat and have expandable sides. One side of the bag is shorter than the other so as to provide a tab 40 for carrying each bag 25. Suitable opposed pairs of apertures are provided in the tabs 40 so that when aligned they receive the arms 30 of a wicket 31 therethrough. Bags 25 of different size have different spacing between opposed pairs of apertures, dif ferent size wickets 31 may be used in the machine. When the arms 30 of wicket 31 are inserted through the holes in the tabs 40 and through the slots 29, the bags 25 will not be able to slide down along the face of the backing plate 24 and, since the plate 24 always pivots toward the lip 21, which engages the wicket 31, the bags are held against the backing plate 24 at their upper edges and hang freely therefrom.

A pair of hooks 41 is provided on the back of the invention to facilitate attaching the invention to any number of machines which provide the filling material which is to be placed in the bags 25. This permits the invention to be changed from one machine to another easily as different filling materials are to be bagged.

OPERATION In operation it will be seen that the bags 25 are positioned on the backing plate 24 by inserting the legs '30 of the wicket 31 through the appropriate holes or apertures provided in the bags 25 and then, while tilting the backing plate 24 rearwardly, i.e., in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, inserting the free ends of legs 30 of wicket 31 through the slots 29 in the backing plate 24. The retainer 32 prevents the ends of the legs 30 from pivoting with respect to the backing plate 24 so as to limit the movements possible to remove the wicket 31 from the slots 29. The backing plate 24 is released and pivots forwardly until the wicket 31 contacts the lip 21 on the air passage 18 so that bags 25 are retained in position adjacent the face of the backing plate 24. The support shelf 35 is inserted into the appropriate hole 36 so that bottoms of the bags 25 to be filled are curved forwardly away from the backing plate 24 by the bumper 34 and fold back against the backing plate 24 before being forced outwardly at their bottom by the support shelf 34.

The fan 20 is started and air is directed downwardly into the open top of the forwardmost bag 25 of the stack so as to partially open the bag. The filling material is then dumped into the fill chute 14 which serves to trip the counterbalanced door 16 downwardly and to the left as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 so that as the filling material is dumped into the bags 25, the door 16 finishes opening the bag 25 for a proper filling thereof. When the filling material has been dumped into the bag 25 by the door 16, it returns to its normal position overlying the mouth of the chute 14 and the filled bag 25 may be easily removed from the support shelf 34 to be further processed.

It will be noted that the curved lip 39 at the bottom of the plate 24 may be used with long bags 25 so as to cause the bottoms of the bags to curve outwardly as shown in FIG. 2 and in conjunction with the upturned edge of the base platform 10 will support the bags 25 while being filled in the same manner as that disclosed using the support shelf 34.

It will, of course, be understood that the particular embodiments here presented are by way of illustration only, and are meant to be in no way restrictive; therefore, numerous changes and modifications may be made, and the full use of equivalents resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a bagging machine for opening and filling, with filling material, expandable open-top bags having retaining tabs extending upwardly above the open top wherein stack of such bags is carried in the machine and an air passage is arranged to direct a flow of air through the passage downwardly into the open top of the forwardmost bag of the stack,

means for retaining said bags along the tabs;

flexing means for moving the sides of said bags with respect to each other to unstick said sides from each other; and

expanding means effective to fully open said bags while being filled, said means being activated and powered by the filling material as the bags are filled;

said expanding means comprises a counterbalanced door pivotably attached to said machine and effective to be pivoted downwardly by the filling material as it is dumped into the fully open bag after being partially opened by a blast of air through said air passage.

2. In a bagging machine for opening and filling, with filling material, open top bags having tabs extending above the open tops, comprising:

(a) a fill chute having a continously open mouth through which the filling material is passed downwardly into successive bags disposed therebeneath;

(b) bag supporting means for suspending a plurality of closed bags by their tabs adjacent one side of said mouth so that the foremost bag is aligned with said mouth when it is opened;

(0) means for directing a stream of air downwardly into the top of said foremost bag as it is held by said bag supporting means for urging said foremost bag from its closed condition to an open position; and,

(d) bag flexing means including a projecting element positioned intermediate the edges of the bags for acting on intermediate portions of the bags fixed below said bag suspending means and cooperating with said bag suspending means for flexing the suspended closed bags sufliciently to urge the body of said foremost bag out of the normal position of suspension of such bag so as to tend to hold such bag with the mouth thereof flexed and with the forward side of the foremost bag urged by gravity to unstick a portion of the sides of said foremost bag adjacent its mouth for receiving the downwardly directed stream of air.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said bag flexing means includes a transverse bumper for engaging the side of the rearmost bag intermediate the ends of such bag for flexing portions of all the bags forwardly.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 having support means for supporting the bottom portion of each foremost bag as it is being filled.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 including bag expanding means adjacent said chute for engaging the mouth of said foremost bag and for holding it in a more opened condition during the period in which it is being filled.

6. In a bagging machine for opening and filling, with filling material, open top bags having tabs extending above the open tops, comprising:

(a) a fill chute having a mouth through which the filling material is passed downwardly into successive bags disposed therebeneath;

(b) bag supporting means for suspending a lurality of closed bags by their tabs adjacent one side of said mouth so that the foremost bag is aligned with said mouth when it is opened;

(0) means for directing a stream of air downwardly into the top of said foremost bag as it is held by said bag supporting means for urging said foremost bag from its closed condition to an open position;

((1) bag flexing means below said bag suspending means and cooperating with said bag suspending means for flexing the body of said foremost bag so as to tend to unstick a portion of the sides of said foremost bag for receiving the downwardly directed stream of air.

(e) a backing plate pivotably mounted adjacent said fill chute, said backing plate having a pair of elongate slots in the upper portion thereof;

(f) a wicket having legs freely insertable through said slots;

(g) a retainer carried by said backing plate effective to prevent pivoting of the wicket with respect to the backing plate; and,

(h) a lip carried by said chute and engageable with said wicket for retaining said wicket with its legs in said slots.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein said bag flexing means comprises a bumper carried by said backing plate adjacent said slots in said backing plate and effective to force a portion of said bags forwardly of said backing plate.

8. In a bagging machine for opening and filling, with filling material, open top bags having tabs extending above the open tops, comprising:

(a) a fill chute having a mouth through which the filling material is passed downwardly into successive bags disposed therebeneath;

(b) bag supporting means for suspending a plurality of closed bags by their tabs adjacent one side of said mouth so that the foremost bag is aligned with said mouth when it is opened;

(c) means for directing a stream of air downwardly into the top of said foremost bag as it is held by said bag supporting means for urging said foremost bag from its closed condition to an open position;

(d) bag flexing means below said bag suspending means and cooperating with said bag suspending means for flexing the body of said foremost bag so as to tend to unstick a portion of the sides of said foremost bag for receiving the downwardly directed stream of an;

(e) a wicket having legs freely insertable through said slots (f) a retainer carried by said backing plate effective to prevent pivoting of the wicket with respect to the backing plate; and

(g) a lip carried by said chute and engageable with said wicket for retaining said wicket with its legs in said slots; and

(h) support means for supporting the bottom portion of each foremost bag as it is being filled;

(i) said support means comprises a first lip for curving the botom of the bags carried in said machine forwardly and a second lip arranged to support the forward side of the bottom of the bag while being filled.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said support means is vertically adjustable to support different length of bags carried by said machine.

10. In a bagging machine for opening and filling, with filling material, open top bags having tabs extending above the open tops, comprising:

(a) a fill chute having a mouth through which the filling material is passed downwardly into successive bags disposed therebeneath;

(b) bag supporting means for suspending a plurality of closed bags by their tabs adjacent one side of said mouth so that the foremost bag is aligned with said mouth when it is opened;

(c) means for directing a stream of air downwardly into the top of said foremost bag as it is held by said bag supporting means for urging said foremost bag from its closed condition to an open position; and

((1) bag flexing means below said bag suspending means and cooperating with said bag suspending means for flexing the body of said foremost bag so as to tend to unstick a portion of the sides of said foremost bag for receiving the downwardly directed stream of air;

(e) support means for supporting the bottom portion of each foremost bag as it is being filled, said support means being vertically adjustable to support different length of bags carried by the machine; and

(f) a counterbalanced door pivotably attached to said chute for being pivoted into the mouth of said foremost bag by the filling material as the filling material is discharged into the bag, said downward movement of said door being effective to fully open the bag after being partially opened by a blast of air through said air passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner NEIL ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

